Tucson transformed into a 1970s time capsule on Monday when Greta Van Fleet’s Dreams in Gold Tour came to town. Decked in fringe, vintage band shirts and plenty of bell bottoms and paisley, the nearly sold out Tucson Arena was ready to raise the roof.
The prolific rock group made a dramatic entrance, dropping a huge curtain before launching into the lofty “Built By Nations”. A packed general admission floor raised their hands high to sing along as the band also pulled out all the stops with pyrotechnics and a blinding light show.
Singer Josh Kiszka strutted barefoot across the stage in his fabulously spangled jumpsuit, while his brothers Sam and Jake held down guitar licks and bass grooves- all backed by the feverish intensity of drummer Danny Wagner. It’s a family affair from the band to the fans, as much of the room consisted of multiple generations who were all ready to rock.
After “Safari Song”, the group turned things over to Wagner for a mesmerizing drum solo before the set meandered into “Light My Love” and “Broken Bells”. Each song got louder cheers than the one before it- Greta Van Fleet certainly knows and understands their audience.
Their inspirations and influences read loud and clear but the band has put their own spin on a style of music that came into being long before they were born. A quick scan of the room found kids just discovering their love of music mingled with their parents (and sometimes grandparents) looking fondly at the next generation of rock ‘n’ roll.
Although the set took a slower, more introspective turn at the end, the band brought the energy back up to close the show with “Age of Man” and “Highway Tune” before, fittingly, the crowd hit the highway still riding the high of the band’s rare and memorable visit to Arizona.
Check out all the photos!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
